He was in his fifties, with some gray hair, wearing an old-money style handmade suit, complete with tie, boutonniere, pocket square, and cufflinks.
When they met, Richard gave Zhou Qingfeng a sharp look and the first question he asked after sitting down was, "Victor, what's your real name?"
This question made Zhou Qingfeng very uncomfortable; he felt that the other party's professional warm smile was particularly fake, as deep and cunning as a cold-smiling tiger.
But he was alone in the United States and didn't know any lawyers, so he could only pay high legal fees to hire this guy.
"My name is on my passport. If you want to be my hired lawyer, you should first familiarize yourself with my information."
Zhou Qingfeng didn't comply with the other party's "obedience" test, but instead pointed to the long table in front of him.
There was only a thin sheet of paper with his identity information on the table, but the pile of legal documents he had to sign was about two fingers thick.
God knows what kind of horrid stuff is hidden in those documents?
Regarding Zhou Qingfeng's resistance, Richard laughed heartily and immediately softened his tone, "Victor, as a friend, I must give you a small reminder.
You shouldn't be in such a hurry to claim the prize.
Here's a little suggestion—I suggest you use this lottery ticket to apply for U.S. citizenship, the federal tax will be reduced to 24%.
As long as you become a U.S. citizen, you will get an additional $1.2 billion in prize money, which is very cost-effective. I can handle this for you, it will only take half a month."
For ordinary people, an additional $1.2 billion is an irresistible temptation; changing nationality is no big deal for that.
But Zhou Qingfeng shook his head, "No, I don't plan to change my nationality. Getting more than $1 billion is already a huge fortune, I'll just give that $1.2 billion to the federal government."
Richard was slightly surprised, but he smiled at the bald-headed director of the office to cover up his embarrassment—an 18-year-old often thinks with hot blood.
If this kid doesn't care about the $1.2 billion, it's really tough to deal with.
"Victor, I see you want to remain anonymous. But you can only stay anonymous for up to 90 days. If you want long-term anonymity, there's a better way, which is to set up a trust fund.
Maybe you should discuss it with your family elders; it's about the management of over a billion dollars, they should know about it.
The prize is valid for another half a year, you totally don't need to rush.
If you are worried about the safety of the lottery ticket, you can store it in the bank. If you urgently need money, any financial institution will provide you with ample credit support.
I can introduce you to those, absolutely minimizing the costs." Richard kindly advised as if offering heartfelt suggestions.
But Zhou Qingfeng was full of caution about Richard, who brought up these things at the very beginning of their meeting; he asked directly, "Do these legal documents have electronic versions?"
"Of course they do."
"Send them to me."
After getting the electronic versions, Zhou Qingfeng fed the documents to several AI specializing in legal affairs; he specifically paid for the highest service levels for all of them.
Then... all AI stated that the several hundred pages of legal documents were too biased toward Party A, completely ignoring the interests of Party B.
"I've changed my mind; I don't want to hire you as my legal advisor anymore."
Richard was taken aback, cursing AI for spoiling his business in his heart, but his warm smile grew even thicker, "Kid, you absolutely have the right to make your choice.
I'm just trying to help you, and you can't avoid me.
Because I'm the legal advisor of the Florida Gaming Commission, you have to deal with me if you want to get the money. Choosing me is your best option.
As for those AIs, they are still imperfect, unreliable, incomplete, and cannot replace truly experienced lawyers.
Of course, there's one more very important point..."
Richard smiled subtly, half persuading half threatening, "I think you should know that this lottery ticket is involved in a widely-followed murder case.
The office has already notified the FBI, the federal agents will be here soon. You can no longer leave this office, but you can hire me as your lawyer.
Right now..."
-----------------
A month ago, the FBI had already notified the Florida Gaming Commission that if someone came to redeem the super prize, they must report it.
When Zhou Qingfeng came to claim the prize with the 'picked up' lottery ticket, the entire gaming commission had actually been waiting for him for a long time.
After all, no one would ignore over 2.2 billion US dollars.
As the commission's legal advisor, Richard had long envisioned various possible scenarios in his mind, and had responses prepared.
But Zhou Qingfeng hadn't been idly waiting for this month either, he made many preparations as well. After all, once he claimed the prize, the FBI would certainly know his identity.
This matter couldn't be concealed at all.
Upon realizing that this "old white man" had issues, he immediately said he needed to make a call, then walked to a corner of the office.
As soon as the young man stepped a bit away, Richard's face fell, and he whispered to the bald director, "What's this kid's background?"
The bald director in beach casual attire shrugged, "I only saw him this morning. He's a high school student from China.
The kid's family should have some money, but not too much; otherwise, he wouldn't go to a cheap place like White Beach High School for study abroad."
"The kid isn't... too friendly to me." Richard asked with a gloomy face, "Does he have any connections in the legal field in the U.S.?"
"Shouldn't... have." The director wasn't very sure, "But... who knows? After all, that kid is a lucky one."
"No... He can't be just a lucky one." Richard stared at Zhou Qingfeng's back with a vicious look, whispering firmly, "He must be the murderer... the one who was hired."
-----------------
Zhou Qingfeng took out his phone, his fingers gently sliding on the contact list, finally stopping on Jennifer's name.
He took a deep breath, didn't hesitate much, and pressed the dial button. The call rang a few times before it was answered.
"Victor!" Jennifer's annoyed voice came from the other end, with a hint of reproach,
"I just found out you skipped class. You better have a good reason. Even if you're an international student, you can still get expelled for violating school rules like this."
Zhou Qingfeng didn't directly respond to her questioning, but instead asked in a low voice, "Beautiful, do you remember yesterday, you said you would be my high society advisor, does that promise still stand?"
"What?" Jennifer's voice carried a bit of impatience, "The school is likely to expel you. Are you sure you want to talk to me about this?"
Zhou Qingfeng continued unhurriedly, "I need your help now."
Jennifer on the other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds, seemingly recalling the conversation from that day. Her tone became a bit hesitant, "I think I did promise, so you... "
"I have a little legal trouble right now, and I need a reliable lawyer. But I don't have many connections in the U.S., you're the only one I can consult now."
Zhou Qingfeng's tone became serious, "I think you or your family should have a good lawyer, could you introduce me to one?"
"Wait a minute..." Jennifer's voice suddenly raised a few notches, with a hint of surprise and vigilance, "Kid, did you hit someone with your car? Or did you commit some major crime?"
"Neither, I have some financial issues." Zhou Qingfeng remained calm.
"Financial issues?" Jennifer laughed, her laughter tinged with mockery and indifference, "My family's lawyer doesn't come cheap; a five-minute conversation with him costs hundreds of dollars.
Only people with assets of over ten million dollars are qualified to dine with him. Hiring him as a legal advisor costs at least a million dollars per year in commission.
This is just the commission; specific tasks incur additional charges.
Even hiring an intern lawyer from his firm to handle a case is not cheap. Are you sure your financial issues warrant such a big lawyer?"
"A million dollars a year? Not too expensive." Zhou Qingfeng remained indifferent, only concerned about one thing: "Is your lawyer reliable? Won't he scam me?
I want a capable lawyer who can consider my personal interests, not one who just presents a pile of legal provisions."
Jennifer's voice carried more surprise, even a hint of realization, "Kid, it seems like you do have some money.
But... I don't quite understand why you need to find a lawyer? If your family is wealthy, you shouldn't lack lawyers."
"Because my over-billion-dollar assets haven't reached my hands, I need a lawyer to help with that now." Zhou Qingfeng said.
"Wait... how much assets did you say?"
"Precisely, it's $2,237,650,000 pre-tax."
"Why does that number sound familiar?"